Festival City Symphony Blog

“Pioneers and Prodigies” on Sunday, May 7 will be the final Symphony Sundays concert with longtime conductor Monte Perkins, who has shared his exceptional talents with FCS since 1963. From the Vagabond Ski & Social Club, Audience Members and Fans of Monte for Many Years: The Vagabond Ski & Social Club would like to convey to you, Monte, …

To top off our 2016-2017 Symphony Sundays season, the extraordinary Milwaukee-based violin virtuoso Frank Almond will return to perform the well-known “Violin Concerto in D minor” by Henri Wieniawski. Violinist Frank Almond holds the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Now celebrating his 20th season with the MSO, he has also held positions as Concertmaster of …

This interview with Julio Pabon of De La Buena originally appeared in the March 20, 2016 Footlights program. Executive Director Linda Jones interviewed the award-winning percussionist, singer, educator, and music administrator when he joined the Festival City Symphony Board of Directors. His musical talents will delight attendees of our final Pajama Jamboree of the season, “I’ve Got Rhythm,” on May …

The Milwaukee area always has a great selection of performances to choose from, but we were particularly excited to see that the Venice Baroque Orchestra (VBO) is coming to town on February 17 at 8pm. The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield welcomes one of the very finest period instrument ensembles for its first Milwaukee-area performance in …

Good afternoon and welcome to our first concert for the new year. Today we will play pieces by well known composers whose works are seldom heard in the concert hall of the modern symphony orchestra. And, frankly, we will be presenting them in a way never envisioned by the composers. The period of roughly 1575 – 1750 is referred to …

Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony Orchestra has announced that Carter Simmons has been hired to replace retiring Monte Perkins as Music Director and Conductor for the organization’s Symphony Sunday concerts at the Pabst Theater. Simmons will remain the Artistic and Music Director of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), where he has served the community for nearly 25 years. He will …

Thank you to the Pajama Jamboree audience of November 30, 2016, for making it possible for Festival City Symphony to donate food to Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force! “Please accept my gratitude for your organization’s (FCS) recent gift to Hunger Task Force of 89 pounds of donated food. Thanks to this wonderful support, Hunger Task Force can continue to feed families …

Guests from our Symphony Sundays concert on October 2: The Wilson family says “hi” and wants to let you know how much they enjoyed a Sunday afternoon at the Pabst with Festival City Symphony! Thank you, Wilsons!

FCS Executive Director Linda Jones and violinist Carol Christensen decorated a tree to be auctioned off at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s “Festival of Trees” fundraising event! It began Saturday, December 3, at the MacIntosh|Goodrich mansion. Visit the WCM website for more information. Save Save Save Save

This year, the Girl Scout Day at the Symphony will be May 7, 2017, during the Pioneers and Prodigies concert featuring Frank Almond. Print this coupon, fill it out, and mail it with payment to Festival City Symphony c/o JoAnn Norris, 9991 West North Avenue #202, Milwaukee, WI 53226. We’ll see you at the symphony!